The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-26

| and hotels Of selling tirlr .rarba0e shonld be
broken up. II Is question 10 be seriously
| considered, whether the city dmder the healtk
| department should not itsii assume, as
| needed sanitary measurr, the collection OF
house and store Offal, asns's and garbage and
| the cleaning Of privies. A under the pres.
| ent practice only house OLA Is collected by
the contractor, store onai a,'tsistiug Of large
quantities Of perishable matter Is left ut the
disposal Of prOprietOrs OF the stores. These
for economy and convenience dump il often
times In Objectionable places. There Is nc
provision for the collection II asiies OF other
refuse from houses or stores. thl the result
Is that ashes mixed with per,hiJI matter
are thrown out together II possible II not a
probable source Of disease.
Should the city take into It's charge the
anOye named collections, the house and store
oIal could be Thoroughly collected and dis
posed OF by sale OF contract. The ashes
placed Wnerait could De Of use in filing
stagnant ponds or hlling over the flats, and
other garbage put where II would not be a
nuisance, nor detrimental 10 health. The
present annual expense to house holders Of
the city for cleaning privy vaults Is about
5000, this and the $1,000 paid for
collecting house Otfal would 70 far to-
ward equlpping and maintaining a proper
force with the necessary appliances Tor do
ing all the work. It Is estimated that al
least $1,000 Is paid by individuals for remov-
Ing ashes and other refuse material from
private houses and Offices each year. This
could be much better performed under the
direction Of the Health Department, either
saving that expense to citizens or making a
small charge for the service, APPLYING the
proceeds toward the maintenance of the
department. The city could be divided into
SIX districts, each OF which could DO visited
on fixed day Of every week and ali refuse
OF every kind removed 10 proper place OF
deposit. Certainly our present inefficient
and unsatisfactory methods should be aban-
doned, and II nothing else Is done, all remov-
al ofnight soil should be done by an odoress
exeavatOr.
HOUSE TO HOUSE INSPECTION.
For the purpose Of preparing for future
WORK and 70 make some obserya-
ti0ns with regard 10 general features Of sani-
tation, the Health Officer has made a house
70 house inspection Of two sections of the
city with regard 10 whether privies or water
closets were used: II privy vaults, whether
they were In good order. Whether houses
had drains and whether these were connect
ed with the public sewer or with cesspools.
Condition Of the drains and general eOndl-
tion Of the yards, etc. The first section in
spected was that situated in the north cast
ern part Of the city, east OF North street and
north Of Congress street. the second sec
tion lay between Franklin street and Wash
ingt0n street, north Of Congress street Both
sections are situated on sand and gravel un-
derlaid by clay, admirably calculated 10
catch and hold all water falling upon the
surface. Water Is found very near the sur
face, the land being full Of springs and even
on the brow Of the hill the water stands
within three or four feet Of the bottom Of the
cellars where they are frequently dug.
The hrst section inspected contains 28i
houses, s5 wells and 1T privies. Many OF
the vaults Of the latter are lined with plank.
old and decayed, leaky and saturating the
ground around them with their foul con-
tents. Many houses Ia this section are not
connected with the sewers, but collect their
house drainage into cesspOOls, often imper-
fectly constructed and In some cases only
bottomless tanks. The wells are situated
from II TO 100 feet from the privy vaults and
eessspoOls. Most Of them are 2S y 20 feet dis
IL is not difficult to guess with accuracy
what must be the quality Of water in a well
dug In sandy gravel at these distances
from leaky privy vault or cesspOOl
competent sanitary authority says "a bar
rel Of kerosene oil buried ten feet under
ground will, 1t Is said, cOntaminate every
well within quarter Of mile, and the OH
will be apparent to the taste The accumula-
tions Of pTiyy vaults will extend their per-
niciOus influence even greater distance, al
though the water which II affects may not
indicate TO the taste the presence Of any inn
purity. There Is little wonder that In sueh
a section diphtheria assumes a malignant
type and low forms Of fe.er prevail The
Board Is rOwerless ~ compel change from
wells 10 SebagO water aud for the most part
owners OF wells say shat they prefer well TO
Sebag0 water.
The second section inspected con-
tanned 397 houses, ilJ wells aud 255
priVies. Many houses this section
have no water and drafrS. and
there are many streets cred IN Aart or
wholly so. There are a larger number Of
the wells from the priVy vaults and Rwss.
pools Is about the same As Ia Tue other sec
ton, and the condition NJ rTiyy vaults much
the same. As most OF the inspection of this
section was made when sl0w wls ON the
ground, tine condition Of The wards. etc,
could not so well be determined
The inspection shows wn1t might have
been expected. namely that grave abuses ex-
ist, concerning which no complaint viii 10
made, but which ought TO be corrected. The
inspection ought to be extended thrOghout
the city.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
On the 9Th Of September, the City Council
passed an ordinance requiring physicians 10
report TO the Board Of Health al cases, on
which they attend, OF scarlet fever, diphthe-
ria, typhoid fever, small pox, cholera or
typhus fever, and providing for the isola-
tlon and quarantine a o. such disc diseases. Be
sd Of February, 1887, % cases were so re-
ported. 40 Of diphtheria, SO Of typhoid fever
and IA Of scarlet fever. The physicians and
the Board have cO-operated In measures cal
culated to prevent the spread Of these
diseases by isolation and quarantine OF the
premises. After recovery or decease, the
premises haye in all cases been thoroughly
disinfeeted, and In cases Of diphtheria, when
deemed necessary. carpets, furniture, beds,
bedding and clothing have been carried away
and burned. Where the circumstances de-
manded it these have been in whole or in part
replaced by the Board from its apprOpria-
tion. 1t Is believed that In all these cases
the disease was strictly confined 10 the prem
ises where 1t originated.
INSPECTION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The work of the Board, as will be seen,
has been largely confined 10 the abatement
Of the more prominent and obvious nuis..
ances such as arise from accumulation OF
filth, being without power TO touch those
sources OF disease equally deserving Of at
tention, but not coming within its province.
The inspection OF plumbing and house drain
age, ventilation Of sewers and such matters
are not within its purview, nor has II any
thing to do with the supply Of fresh, pure
air, however closely this may be connected
with the question Of health. But 1t Is with
in the power Of the City Council to place in
its hands the correction OF the sanitary con-
dition Of the public buildings belonging 10
the city. Complaints have been made firm
time to time Of the unsanitary condition OF
the school houses, engine houses and City
Building. The whole system Of ventilating.
heating and draining these buildings, with
lew tAttptlDuos DtiouS W u past dkts anu tHo
changes and notifications in these from time
TO time under the direction Of different COM
mittees have terminated In no marked bene-
fetal result. Ventilators which do not ven
tilate, radiators and registers which do not
distribute heat, and drains clOgged and
leaky, with other imperfect sanitary ar
rangements, call for prompt action and for
the expenditure OF money by the city, which
should not be grudgingly bestowed.
Should the ''act 10 establish local boards Of
health" be enacted by the Legislature this
session, the Board will be able to reach with
authority many cases which IL can only af-
feet now by a protest. Owners OF tenement
houses are for the most part willing TO adopt
suggestions OF improvements In the sanitary
conditions Of the tenement but cases have
been investigated by the Health Officer OF
tenements without cellars, water closets or
priyies, sinks or any supply Of water.
A limited number Of milkmeu feed their
cows either partly or wholly on garbage and
Offal gathered from houses and stores and In
short many sources of disease exist simply
for want Of some power 10 order their extir-
patton. The State Board Of Health Is doing
an immense amount Of good In calling pub
lie attention 10 this state of things and put
ting into circulation the results OF its inves-
tigatiOns and discoveries. To II, as an au-
thority, the local boards may appeal for ad-
vice and counsel from which great good will
be sure 10 come as has already been the ease
from the circulars relating 10 small pOx and
diphtheria.
Ice on the kennebec
The following is the ice harvest ON In,
kennebec river this winter.
oh Eu tufff III ~.